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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. mug — a cup
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. mug — to rob
  11. mug — a face
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. chair — a leader
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. pitch — completely
  16. rush — hurry
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. bat — the animal
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. perch — the fish
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. vault — a safe
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. perch — for a bird

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com